Nigeria has successfully Launched and install their own Starlink on January 30, 2023. Starlink offers Internet by means of low-orbit satellites, which are closer to the Earth than the satellites used by satellite TV providers like DStv.

Starlink aims to bring Internet access to 3.8 billion people worldwide and is owned by Elon Musk. To achieve this goal, they plan to launch over 42,000 satellites globally, but only a fraction of that number has been deployed thus far.

In this piece of article, I will explore the concept of Starlink, its operation, the contrasts between mobile Internet and broadband services, and the target audience for Starlink in Nigeria.

Starlink Nigeria

Starlink announced that its service is now active in Nigeria, making it the first African country to receive the service. Nigerians are capable of being the country no doubt, since their activity on the internet is beyond measurable.

The development comes weeks after the company announced preorder sales for its starter kits, priced at $600 for the hardware and $43 per month for its subscription services. The announcement was made via a tweet on the company’s Twitter page.

Starlink Proce in Nigeria Money

In Nigerian currency at the present rate, according to the notification, the hardware will cost N274,098, while the subscription fee will be N19,260. ((thecable.ng))

How to Get Starlink in Nigeria

Pre-ordering the Starlink connection is possible by paying a deposit of $99.99 on the Starlink website. However, due to limitations on the use of Nigerian cards, paying for the service can be difficult.

You can get a Domiciliary account with $100 opening balance, or you get the UBA Africard. The process to get Starlink in Nigeria is straightforward, and he received his kit within a week of placing the order. To get Starlink in Nigeria, you can follow these steps:

• Check the Starlink availability map on the website to confirm that the service is available in your location.
• Place a pre-order deposit of $99.99 by visiting the Starlink website.
• Pay the remaining amount of $499, bringing the total to $599, to complete the order.
• Wait for the Starlink kit to be delivered to your doorstep. Note that the delivery may take up to six months, or even as late as the end of 2023.
• Shipping times are currently estimated to be 1 to 2 weeks from order.

How Fast Is Starlink in Nigeria?

According to speedtest.net, a speed tracking website said, the average speed of Starlink in the US was estimated to be 53 megabytes per second (Mbps). ((speedtest.net))

However, one Starlink customer in Nigeria, has reported a constant high speed, never dropping below 100Mbps, even when there were obstructions during the initial setup.

Starlink’s website states that users can expect data speeds ranging from 50 to 150 Mbps, with latency from 20 to 40 milliseconds, wow, this is interesting!

Elon Musk, the CEO of Starlink, tweeted in February 2021 that users should expect speeds of 300 Mbps. While Gbadebo has not seen speeds reach 300 Mbps, he has reported speeds as high as 250 Mbps.

Check This Before Getting a Starlink in Nigeria

Starlink’s website states that the service is designed for areas where obtaining reliable connectivity has been difficult. Let’s use Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano and Delta state as an example.

With the lack of dependence on traditional land-based infrastructure, Starlink can offer high-speed internet access to areas where it was previously unreliable or nonexistent. However, affordability remains a concern.

Factors to Check Before Purchasing One

A study conducted in 2021 analyzed the income of rural households and found that the average monthly income of breadwinners was ₦42,142 ($56) to support a family of six.

This means that to afford Starlink, which costs ₦443,260 ($599), they would need to save for 11 months without spending any income. This raises the question of who Starlink is intended for.

Based on this, it can be argued that Starlink is designed for larger businesses located in rural areas. However, it is unlikely that micro-enterprises, which typically have a monthly turnover of less than ₦50,000 ($67), can afford it.

Although there is limited data on the turnover of businesses in different cities in Nigeria, it can be inferred from Lagos State’s IGR of ₦785 billion in 2020 and Q1 2021 that it has many high-revenue-generating businesses.

However, even if these businesses in Lagos can afford Starlink, they may not be able to fully utilize its services due to congestion and existing ground infrastructure. This raises the question of whether there are other fast alternatives available.

Starlink and Other Nigerian Networks

The fastest internet in Nigeria is provided by Airtel with a speed of 22.42Mbps, followed by MTN with 21.71Mbps, and Glo with 8.70Mbps. The slowest among the mobile network operators is 9mobile, with a speed of 8.32Mbps.

It’s worth noting that none of the mobile networks can match Starlink’s speed. However, this may change with the introduction of 5G connections.

5G speeds are expected to surpass Starlink’s 300Mbps, but so far, users who have the MTN 5G router have only experienced speeds of up to 75Mbps.

Starlink offers unlimited data with high speeds at a monthly subscription cost of $43, but those who use a large amount of data may end up paying more with a mobile internet plan.

In summary, the choice between Starlink, mobile internet, and fiber in Nigeria depends on your location, budget, and internet requirements.